Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-13

only think! such a lark But ss
climbed in at the window our tub drifteo
away, AMI however we're to get over
emit tell"
"You must think OF something
said. "Bobbery, it was long day..
"Why, OF coarse it was, Dobbery
answered, "without me. Come along,
the rivers rising like fury.
"Is it very wider l asked.
"Oh, not mcrs'n q good stretch from
here to dry land, but deep. over six feet,
l should say, and rising"
sBut the bed, Bobbery," l said, card
the other things"
"Well, we must leave them until it's
all right again.
"Wiil it ever be all righ,?' asked.
"Why, yes, of course" said Bobbery.
He was splendid chap, sir. was Bob
berry, and - cleverl tie took the two
chairs that were drifting about the room
and tied them close together, and then
we waded across to the wiGdow and
stood upon the sill.
II think its jolly good fun" said
Bobbery. ''If ycu could only see how
yoar boats bob5iag mp and down In
front here Gst in quick, or l can't hold
her. Here! port her helm, or something .
A;e you all Iighi." =.
cts splendid" l said; "come along"
But when Bobbery PUT his foot on the
unsteady raft she went down on one
side with plunge. 'Never mind he
said, ''yo I've just got 10 push yourself
.h)re with the pole es straight as yCu
can 20, and l will follow"
thought that was true, or | never
sould have left Bribery. l took the
pole he gave me and went ont on the
restless waters that felt we're blood-red
where the setting sun had touched them
People on the opposite side caeered anu
cried and called me. and Bobbery behind
called cut once or twice "Ship ahoy!
in a shrill voice that 1 knew and loved
better than anything on earth, and once
l heard him say faintiy-he seemed so
far away-'In port at last"
At last!
The people on shore had ceased their
shouts OF excitement and announcement; (;
tie light had died utterly away.
In an awful silence and an awful dark
ness had jumped to land aud held out
my hands.
s'Bobbery? Bobbery!" l cried, 81
want to thank you."
Did B0bbery hear, sir, do you think.
Do reople hear anything, do people
understand anything after they have
gone away?
l only knew that the awful silence
was turning to stene, that the awful
darkness was risisg like stone wall be-
.u-ao- ,.l pohlar.--ap1
afraid. When / alled no one answered.
and was glad. Ii his voice was silent
any other voice would have madiened
me Just then, and wanted nothing
more to tell me all the truth. l learned
through the silence on land and sea how
God had answered my prayer.
They told me afterward how the plank
he was launching to help himself to the
shore drifted away from his hand and
out of sight directly, how they would
have saved him if they could and how,
hen they began to shout to him direc-
tions. he made sign for silence, and
stood straight upon the sill, with tine
sunset creeping all about him and the
waters washing at his feet. They wos-
dered why he had made no effort to
ItdCh tuO Win LAO-tASy ooSA ~
wonder for long after why be had stood
so silent, with his eager eyes and restless
feet so range.y still. knew, of
course; but what right had any one else
to come between ms and Bebbsrys IL
wouldn't have done any one any good to
knew what l knew-that Bobbsry
wouldn't let me lose tie faintest ch anee
-thoughs my blind, helpless life quite
as we'll worth saving as his own. l
would have done the same fer him, sir,
any 'day--for Bobbery AMI me were
always fond Of each other.
The story's longer than l thought, SIR,
but just the evening and the foods
again, and your wanting to know about
the cross brought it back TO me like the
same evening somehow-aa' its company
like to talk OF the lad,
And Robbery: he just died sir; and
the folks thousht such a deal of him that
they set me up, and took laif of the
money just to put up this little cross ny
the river side-for we always divided
the coppers, sir; and 1 haven't forgotten
him-not in these two years!
That's ell. sir-just all about Bo6bsry.
-[Harper's Bazaar.